Entropy Rising
by Geeky-Coffee-Girl
Summary: Edward should have avoided Bella from the start. Now their love threatens to destroy the very world as we know it. When there is nothing left, what do you hold on to?
1. Prologue

****A/N: ** Welcome to my first fanfic! First and foremost, I own nothing. Twilight and all it's characters are property of Ms. Meyers. I'm just playing with them a little. No copyright infringement intended. Second, this story has a Mature rating for a reason. If you are under 18, please click the back button and exit. Third and lastly, I will try to update this as frequently as possible, so as not to leave you lovely readers hanging. Without further ado...on with the show!*****

I could feel the breath ripping painfully in and out of my lungs, burning like fire as my chest heaved. There were black spots filling the edges of my vision, but still I pushed my leaden legs forward. Smacking the pavement again and again in a frantic rhythm that my heart tried to outpace. The familiar doors in the distance seemed leagues away, and I knew I wasn't alone in that sentiment as Jasper cursed lowly on my right. Eyes scouring frantically, we sprinted, laying it all out for the promise of safety behind those double doors.

_If we could just make it inside, we might have a chance._

Years, days, moments later we both collided into the doors with the force of our mad dash and tugged at the handles frantically, gasping. Locked.

"FUCK!" I screamed, the hysteria and maniacal need of our pursuers getting closer by the second.

"Move!" Jasper barked, aiming his pistol at the lock. I stepped away and scanned the treeline and quiet road, wondering how long we had. Ten minutes, at most. The bang of the gunshot was something I was now disturbingly accustomed with. I barely flinched. Wrenching the door away from the shattered lock, we ducked into the warm stale air of the sealed school with nearly simultaneous sighs. No direction was needed as we both started to shove desks and chairs from the nearest open classroom in front of the doorway.

Anything to buy us time.

Barricade in place, we took off for the second story stairs, shoes squeaking loudly on the linoleum. Any other time it might have been funny. Chests still heaving from our chaotic break for the shelter of the school, we made it to the science wing. The mundane Biology classroom seemed almost obscene in it's normalcy when every other fucking thing had dissolved into chaos. I wanted to rip it apart, just so it mirrored the madness I felt. Another makeshift barricade went up against the door to the classroom, and both our eyes reflected that we couldn't believe we had actually made it this far. But for now we had shelter, and a vantage point.

Ever the soldier, Jasper moved to hunker down behind the teacher's desk, and made busy inspecting his rifle. I grimaced at the trickle of blood that ran from over his eyebrow and the new scrapes and bruises along his battle-scarred hands.

This was all my fault.

"Stop feeling so goddamn guilty and check your weapons. I'm fine." Jasper gritted out, and I sighed. If he was in my position, I would be exactly where he was. Defending him with everything I had.

Groaning, I slowly lowered myself to sit next to him, and pulled my shotgun from behind my shoulders. I could still smell the smoke and gunpowder on it. I was reaching for my bag of ammo when the horde of voices slammed into my awareness and I groaned, hands instinctively going to my temples. Anything to try and stop the throbbing noise.

They had reached the school grounds.

Jasper doubled over, hands finally beginning to shake, eyes shut against the onslaught. He had lost his hold, and I could feel the hate and pain seeping out of him like poison gas. My insides twisted, witnessing his battle of control.

"That was fast! There must be more of them than we thought. Shit. Think we can hold them off, man?"

No reply.

"Jasper?" I pressed, his silence scaring me nearly more than anything today. Suddenly his eyes snapped open, and he craned his neck to stare at me, face contorted into abject hate and anguish. His normally steely blue eyes had gone the blood red that now haunted my every step, and I flung myself back. Tears streaming down my face, I scrambled to put distance between us, head shaking in denial.

"No, not you! Not you Jasper! I can't fucking do this alone!"

My best friend's hands trembled violently as he raised the rifle and peered down the sight, aiming directly at my heart. Pain, sorrow, rage all rolled off him in sickening waves until he finally gritted his teeth and put his finger on the trigger.

"Run!" He snarled, and for the briefest flash I saw the real Jasper come back.

Without pause, I threw myself through the second story classroom window, screaming in agony as I braced for impact.

The crack of a gun sounded not a moment later.

****A/N: **There you have it. The prologue. Want more? Feel free to let me know. Chapter one will be up tomorrow!*********


	2. Chapter 1

It was days like this that I really wished the voices would just shut the fuck up.

I was rusty, like I was after every summer, and I wanted to bash my head against the wall just for a little peace from the clamor.

The start to every school year was always bad, people's thoughts filled with extra does of whining, vanity, excitement, boredom. But of course this particular year in the public school system hellhole, Forks had to go and get itself a new student. A new _female_ student. The perceptions of her varied but the mental images I was getting were all pale and brunette and thin. The male population was going nuts.

It was so easy to stir the pot with humans. To get people's minds worked up to such a racket that I could barely discern normal conversations. It was all just noise. Noise, noise, noise.

God, I hated school.

A solid tap on my hunched shoulder had me quirking up one side of my mouth in an almost-smile. I held out my hand without even glancing away from my locker and felt the familiar pill bottle fill it with the promise of relief. My fingers trembled as I popped the cap and shook two painkillers into my mouth, swallowing dry.

_Thank you, Jasper._

I turned to face my best friend, nodding my thanks, and he grimaced sympathetically. Out of anyone, he understood what I was going through the best. At six foot two, with shaggy blonde hair, sharp blue eyes, and the permanent solemn expression he wore in public- Jasper cut an intimidating figure. But then my eyes noted his ever-present cowboy boots and I smirked.

_You could take the man out of Texas..._

I shut my locker door and we walked in silence to our first class, my steps trudging and reluctant. People unconsciously moved out of our way, as always, and I took small vindictive pleasure in that. I gave a forced smile to the teacher after we entered the Math classroom, handing him my medical paperwork.

You know, just in case he had forgotten who I was over the summer.

"Yes, errr...Welcome back Mr. Cullen. Please have a seat. You can collect your extra credit at the end of the class." I suppressed an eye roll as I nodded politely and snagged my customary seat in the back corner of the room. Mr. Varner was happy to have me further away.

Tuning out the standard first-day drivel, my eyes stared longingly out the window at the woods and rain that always seemed to threaten to overtake the school.

_It would be so QUIET out there._

As the clock ticked closer to the end of the hour, Jasper started to fidget. His internal voice was easy to discern and I nearly laughed. A certain faye-like raven haired girl was in Jasper's next class, and he was actually _nervous_. Decades of experience and yet, here he was: hopeless. From the moment she had strode into our English class like a miniature whirlwind sophomore year, Alice Brandon had had the stoic Jasper Whitlock wrapped around her tiny finger. He couldn't seem to find the guts to talk to her, even after two goddamn years, but he had gone so far as to sign up for art classes just to spend more time with her.

I had hinted strongly that she was every bit as sappy about him, but when it came to Alice, Jasper was stubborn. He was adamant she not get too close, but he didn't want to just use her for a little fun. So for two years I had watched them stare longingly at each other and do absolutely nothing about it.

I was _this close _to just shoving them both in a closet and locking the door. Their mutual frustration was stifling.

The bell rang and I gathered my extra credit work from an uneasy Mr. Varner before heading off into the crowded chaos of the halls; the medicine making it almost tolerable. Esme and Carlisle had argued when we moved here that giving me an extra workload was unfair, but the Principal had countered that I needed to do _something_ for my participation grades. If I couldn't speak and wasn't going to be in a "special" school, it had to be balanced out somehow. I was just thankful that I got to stay here with my family to keep me somewhat sane. And to keep an eye, or rather ear, on them.

Every class was a basic repeat of the first, and the routine was both comforting and smothering. Hours passed, papers were handed out, and nobody really listened. Just like every other year. I drummed my fingertips along my desk in English, silently willing the clock to move faster. Hopefully at lunch I could escape for a much needed cigarette. I was already getting twitchy.

The bell finally toned and I quickly made my way to my locker, keeping my head down, a futile effort to block everything out. Grabbing my smokes and my lighter, I sighed and made another vain promise to quit. Then the voices welled up again and I slammed my locker closed bitterly.

I _really_ needed to work on my defenses or I was going to go ballistic before the week was over.

The sight of the round table off to the side in the cafeteria was enough to make me grin as I bought my usual sandwich and coffee in the lunch line. No one passed by too close, though they would never really be able to explain why other than "The Cullens keep to themselves and don't like to be bothered." I shook my head and paid, wondering how long this human charade could last. Emmett and Rosalie were making a scene of themselves as always, sucking face with abandon. Jasper predictably was staring across the room at Alice who was...with the new girl.

The mental images I had been harassed with all day seemed to be fairly accurate. Very slender with milky white skin and long wavy chestnut hair. Pretty enough girl, from what I could see. But her small shoulders were hunched forward and her head was ducked as she apparently conversed with Alice. Her posture was almost defensive, and based on what I could hear and the amount of stares she was getting, I gathered she didn't like the attention.

New Girl was going to be eaten alive in a school this small.

Rosalie stopped mauling Emmett long enough to give me her usual beauty-queen icy smile as I approached. I flipped her off and I smiled back. She just rolled her eyes and tossed her long blonde hair over her shoulder before taking a dainty bite of salad. Emmett inhaled some greasy school pizza, and the contrast between the two of them was nearly hysterical. Her the graceful, statuesque, ever-aloof Southern beauty; and him the dark-haired mountain of a man with years of dick-jokes in his arsenal and the manners of a chimp.

How they ever worked was beyond me.

"How's the first day back, E?" Emmett boomed around a mouthful of food and I winced, my expression fading while I sat down. He swallowed and his face became a little sheepish as he lowered his voice to a more normal decibel. "Sorry bro. That bad?" I shrugged and took a sip of my coffee, unable to stay glum when confronted with Emmett's relentless enthusiasm. His thoughts gave him away a second before he acted and I neatly dodged the french fry he lobbed in my direction.

_Asshole._

He shook his head, annoyed as always that I avoided his "attacks", but then something to my right caught his gaze and his huge dimpled smile widened further. Grabbing Jasper around the shoulder playfully, he pointed.

"Look Jasper, your girlfriend is totally smitten with the new girl! Wouldn't have pegged Alice as a lesbo, would you?" Jasper ducked out from under his arm and narrowed his eyes, before punching Emmett in his massive bicep. Hard.

"They're _cousins_ you neanderthal! And don't make fun of Alice. You know she's straight."

"Lighten up, Jasper! I was kidding. Besides, you make fun of Rosie all the time." Emmett mock pouted and Rosalie was quick to "kiss it better". Jasper and I both looked away, making the same disgusted face. Those two were relentless.

"She's my sister. We gotta mock each other. It's in our blood." Emmett laughed at that before turning his childish mirth on me.

"So Edward, is Little Miss Brandon over there filling in Bella on all the school gossip?" My brows furrowed and I glanced over at the table where Alice sat with New Girl; who's name was apparently Bella. Focusing, I tuned in to the insanely cheerful thoughts of the little pixie. Sure enough, she was happily running through the ins and outs of Forks High for her cousin. Turning back to my family I nodded and Emmett looked at me in exasperation.

"And? What's the new chick like? What's her deal?"

I sighed. Emmett was a bigger gossip than half the girls I had ever met. But I knew he wouldn't shut up about it until I gave him some dirt, so I reluctantly looked back in Alice and this "Bella"'s direction. For an instant I was met with the gaze of deep chocolate eyes, before Bella looked down at the table top, evidently embarrassed at having been caught staring.

_Odd. I should_ _have heard her thinking about us._

I picked up Alice's internal voice in a heartbeat, an she WAS thinking about the Cullen's. Well, she was thinking about telling her cousin what she knew about us. And there were the ever-present thoughts about Jasper. Coming from the seat across from her where the petite brunette sat there was...nothing. I could see her lips moving softly and hear her replies in Alice's mind but where her thoughts should be there was just a blank.

Unsettled, I shifted in my seat and let down all my guards, digging through the ungodly riot of noise for the one voice that was...missing. Surrounding this unassuming girl was a brick wall of silence. Her big brown eyes peeked over in my direction again, and I stared back, hoping some mental proximity might let me hear her. Nothing. It was like the more I tried, the less I could hear. The ever-present chaotic thoughts seemed to dim as I focused all my effort on her silence. No one had ever beaten my "gift" before.

Who _was _this girl?

Heart pounding, red flags going up all over the place, I wrenched my gaze away. Immediately the flood of voices came back. I ran a shaky hand through my unruly hair and grabbed my coffee cup before dashing for the exit.

What the fuck had just happened?

Leaning against a picnic table in the rain, I pulled my leather motorcycle jacket closer to my neck and smoked my cigarette angrily in between sips of coffee. I could hear Emmett, Jasper and Rosalie all wondering what my problem was. I sent Jasper some assurance I didn't really feel, because I honestly didn't _know_ what my problem was. Maybe it was just a fluke. Maybe her inner voice was just...really quiet?

In another futile effort, I dug through the tumult to try and locate the one voice I knew just _had_ to be there somewhere. I found Alice again.

"Don't worry about Biology next, Bella! It's probably not as tough as your old school, and Mr. Banner is dorky, but nice." Her inner monologue continued amiably and I struggled to hear anything but Bella's verbal replies. No dice.

_Well, it seems we all have Biology together next period_. I smirked as I stubbed out my cigarette on the wet pavement, feeling slightly uplifted. I was going to prove this was all just a mistake. A mystery easier to unravel than an episode of Scooby Doo.

I gave my siblings a cursory wave from outside before stalking off in the direction of my locker.

_Just a few more minutes, and I'll have an answer..._

*****A/N: Hope you enjoyed! I know not a lot happened in this chapter, but we've got a LOT of ground to cover and I don't want to rush anything. Chapter 2 might be up tomorrow, but no promises. I'll do my best :) Cheers!**** **


	3. Chapter 2

I was the picture of nonchalance as I leaned back at my lab table with earbuds in and the music blaring from my mp3 player. No one sat next to me, my "don't even think about it" stare was down to an art after all these years of avoidance. Add that to people's natural aversion to us, and they were easily swayed. Anytime someone made a move to sit next to me who wasn't in my family, they got the same treatment. I had no patience for people who thought they were "brave" for approaching me or pitying looks at the "damaged" Cullen. So I played it cool and calm, and only applied my vitriol stare as needed. By now, people had learned to give me my space. It was easier to maintain the uncaring facade that way. No one who looked at me now would think I was anything but bored.

I couldn't mask my emotions from myself, though. Just then my eyes were _glued_ to the door, waiting for the two small girls to appear so I could put this madness to rest. No one had to be the wiser.

I would hear Bella's thoughts, they would be mundane like everyone else, and I could go about my day like this had never happened. Everything would be fine. But the seconds kept ticking by, and I grew nervous that neither of them would show. My leg bounced in agitation and I started to panic that maybe I had misheard Alice.

By the time Alice and Bella actually arrived, the rest of the seats in the classroom were full except for the one directly in front of me, and the seat at my table. I was also about ready to start pacing with my need for answers. People watched me and the latest arrivals eagerly, wondering if there was going to be some kind of showdown.

Everyone knew to leave Edward Cullen the fuck alone.

Alice took the seat in front of me, smiling apologetically at her cousin as she was forced to share my table. Her thoughts were both contrite and relieved that she wasn't the one who wold face my ire, if it came to that.

Bella sat down next to me, looking shy but determined. Up close I could see she had a soft heart shape face, full pink lips, and a smattering of freckles along the bridge of her nose. It didn't even look like she was wearing chapstick. After seeing so many girls apply layer upon layer of goddamn paint to their faces, it was almost refreshing to see bare skin. Bella was prettier than my initial assessment, and I felt my "fuck off" mask slipping for just a moment as she turned and smiled at me nervously.

Remembering why I was allowing my space to be invaded, I didn't return the smile and focused where her thoughts should be as I oh-so-casually pocketed my mp3 player. It felt like my reaching mental threads ran into a building. I could tell where her thoughts SHOULD be, but something was keeping them guarded and hidden from me. Brows furrowing, I pushed hard enough to make my head scream in agony, but there was nothing. And once again, the more I focused on her silence, the less I could hear of the mental voices around me. After a long moment it sounded like I was hearing them from far away, or maybe underwater.

"Hi, I'm Bella Swan. New girl, and I guess...your lab partner. It's Edward, right?" It would have been easy to miss her soft alto voice as she extended a small pale hand in my direction. I nearly just glared at it and turned away, distraught by her resistance to my talent, but then I wondered if maybe touching her would help. I had never needed physical contact before, but who knew?

_Desperate times and all that crap._

I grabbed her hand in mine and drew in a sharp breath at the hum of electricity than ran through me at the contact. My skin felt alive and thrumming with some unknown energy I had never felt before. Mercifully I recovered before my features could give me away, and I stared into her wide brown eyes as I reached out for her mind again.

This time, it wasn't just her I couldn't hear. Whatever silence surrounded her mind seemed to have blanketed me as well, and the world was blissfully...empty. Not a single thought was present aside from my own.

Retracting my hand sharply I turned to scowl at the tabletop.

What _was _this infuriating girl?

I was torn between fear, anger at her doe-eyed destruction of everything I knew, and the desire to glue her to my side so I could embrace the silence she seemingly carried with her. As soon as I had released her from my grip, the voices came flooding back in and I sighed. For a brief second I had felt...normalcy.

Like a junkie getting a hit, I immediately knew I would want more. But I couldn't hear her, couldn't know what she was thinking, and that was terrifying and dangerous for me and my family. So when she pushed the syllabus at me gently, I did the only thing I could think of. I glared at her with as much hate as I could muster.

She drew in an unsteady frightened breath and her face turned a delicate shade of red as she focused on the paper in front of her, shaking her hair to hide her face from me.

Immediately I felt relieved, and like utter shit.

This slip of a girl didn't know how much damage she could do, and here I was being a complete asshat on her first day in a new school.

My next thought chilled me to the bone.

_What if she ___**did**___ know and was just toying with me? Perhaps I had finally been found and she was the first spy. Everything about her seemed so non-threatening...but that would be the perfect cover, right?_

My mind deliberated back and forth, the rage on my face never lessening the entire hour. As I stared straight ahead, I caught Alice looking back at Bella and I with a disconcerted expression on her face. Guards back up, I blocked out her internal voice, not really giving a shit if she was upset I wasn't making nice with her cousin. _If_ that's even who she still was.

The bell rang and I practically sprinted for the door, needing to get some space and perspective. It took less than a second to decide to ditch the last class of the day, as I saw Bella walking in the direction of the gym from her locker. No way was I sharing another class with her. Shoving my books haphazardly into my own tiny metal cubicle, I shut the door and made a mad dash from the nearest exit to my car. The rain pelted down against the windshield fitfully and I turned on the c.d. player in an effort to calm my jumbled thoughts. The strains of Chopin that drifted from my speakers failed to settle me like they usually did. I felt like a caged animal.

Through the rain I saw a small black and red figure moving in the direction of my car. Someone else had obviously decided to ditch last period. They made their way towards the parking lot, moving closer and closer to my small refuge. It wasn't until my passenger door opened without so much as a knock that I could discern who the figure was, and that they were out here for me.

_Alice  
><em>  
>Slipping into the passenger seat silently, she adjusted the hem of her red trench coat and fluffed her short hair, turning the vents to warm her. In complete open-mouthed shock, all I could do was stare as she made herself right at home in <em>my<em> car. Hands clasped primly in her lap, Alice finally turned to face me. I let down my guard and reached for her mind, prepared for an onslaught of bitchiness about being mean to her family member. Before I could dig, she gathered her courage and spoke.

"You need to stay away from Bella." Alice's tinkling little voice didn't match the severity of her tone, but the words were expected. If only she knew that I intended to avoid Bella Swan as much as possible already. She was an enigma, a possible threat, and I hated her for it. No overprotective pixie-bitch needed to boss me around. I narrowed my eyes at Alice and sneered, letting her know exactly what I thought of her coming out here to issue edicts.

_Who the hell does she think she is?_

Prying into her mind again, I expected more rebuffs, but instead I found fear. Undefined but all-encompassing fear about what would happen if I didn't "stay away." Sitting back and blinking rapidly, I watched that same fear crumple Alice's small face into pain.

"Please, Edward. I know we don't really know each other, and you have no reason to believe me, but I just...have this feeling. Something really really bad is going to happen if you don't leave my cousin alone." And with that, she opened the door and stepped out of the car before pivoting to face me again. Leaning against the frame her eyes turned wide and beseeching. "I love her, but if you have to make her hate you so she stays away too, do it." She shut the door with a soft click and hurried off back towards the school building, leaving me utterly dumbfounded in her wake.

So now apparently I not only had mystery-girl Bella who could resist my ability and was possibly here to find me; Alice fancied herself some kind of fucking psychic.

_Wonderful. What else could go wrong?_

I barely noticed when the period ended and my family joined me in the Volvo.

_What is goin' on with you today? And don't try and play it off as nothin'._

Jasper's pointed thought hit me as soon as his ass was in the seat Alice had occupied minutes before. Sighing, I signed the only thing I could to sum up my migraine inducing day.

_The new girl is trouble. I can't hear her at all. _

"Dude, that's never happened before, right?" Emmett asked nervously from the back seat. I glared at him in the rear view mirror and shook my head. It was at that moment that the wretched person in question walked out the double doors of the school, arm in arm with Alice. Without even pausing, I flung the car in reverse and peeled out of the school parking lot, leaving a trail of angry horns blaring in my wake. 

Fuck 'em. I needed out.

"We should tell Carlisle." Jasper stated matter-of-factly and I nodded. Rosalie scoffed from the back seat, irritated that I was once again rocking the boat in her little world. Pulling out his cell phone, Jasper dialed the hospital and waited to be connected to Carlisle's office as the tiny town sped by. I was going way too fast, but no cops were on the road and I had to get as much space between Bella Swan and myself as possible. Finally Jasper cleared his throat.

"Carlisle, it's me. You need to come home. No, we might have a serious problem and the whole family should be there to discuss it. No, o' course nobody did anything reckless. Yeah, alright, see ya at the house." He ended the call and nodded at me before I took the turn sharply onto our heavily wooded drive. 

We twisted and turned our way through the trees until I came to a screeching halt in front of the garage. Our motley crew trekked inside, dropping backpacks by the door and sitting at the dark wood dining room table quietly. Emmett looked amused with just a hint of nerves, Rosalie wore her usual "how is this going to affect me" bitch-face, and Jasper seemed resolved. I was going to look like a total idiot, whining about one small girl, but we couldn't afford to take chances. Not when so much rested on so little.

Carlisle and Esme pulled up at almost the exact same moment, four sets of tires crunching on the uneven gravel. Cracking my knuckles nervously, I waited for them to walk inside, steadying my breathing slightly.

Esme walked in first and hugged each of her "children", her impeccably styled caramel hair tucked away neatly from her light green scrubs. She sat at the right of the head of the table, waiting for Carlisle to take his official seat as family leader. Not a moment later he claimed that chair, kind blue eyes fitting with the goodness that radiated from his being. Loosening his tie he sat back and folded his arms, glancing at each of us in turn.

"Tell me." No judgment or condescension colored his words, merely authority and curiosity, so I took a deep breath and started signing rapid-fire. I spilled my proverbial guts about everything that happened, right up to when Alice Brandon got into my car. Jasper's face darkened, thinking I had somehow gotten her involved in this, and I shot him a heavy dose of annoyance.

_**She **came to **me**. _I signed at him directly and he nodded, but was still stewing. The rest of the family thoughts were shocked and concerned. As usual, Carlisle was the first to recover.

"I believe it would be in all of our best interests to stay clear of the Swan girl. As for your theory about her being a scout, I understand your concerns Edward. However, Chief Swan has been talking about his daughter since we moved here two years ago, and was particularly excited when she decided to move to Forks after her mother remarried this summer. Now that doesn't mean she hasn't been compromised, so I recommend taking a short trip up north for a few days. Camp out, and lay low. If she is here for you, she should depart to make her report as soon as she realizes you are not in school and we shall have our answer. Other than that, I see no cause for rash action. Observation and avoidance are going to be our safest bets as well as making sure we are prepared in the event that we need to move."

"But Alice..." Jasper began and Carlisle silenced him with a look.

"She is not part of this family, and we will not put all of us at risk of exposure simply because she _might_ be involved."

Pushing his chair back, Jasper left the room angrily, a trail of resentment in his wake. We all shook it off and I turned to Carlisle.

_When should I leave?_ I signed, hating being chased out of town by the fear and suspicion we lived in.

"Right away would be best. I'll make the call to the school." He replied calmly, tossing me the keys to the Aston Martin. Nodding, I stood to kiss Esme on the cheek, before sprinting up the stairs to my third floor bedroom. I packed clothes and my sleeping bag without much thought, grabbed a toothbrush and some toothpaste, and was out in the garage in minutes to retrieve a tent.

_Good thing we kept this stuff ready to go._

The car started with it's trademark purr, and I couldn't help smiling slightly as I backed it out of the garage. My makeshift family was on the front steps to see me off. Waving from the front seat, I mentally promised myself that I would do whatever it took to make this blow over. For now it was just a week of waiting, and I could live with that.

But as I sped off down the driveway, Bella Swan's hurt and frightened face flashed before my eyes. I swallowed thickly and maneuvered out onto the main rode, telling myself over and over that she was to blame for all of this. Even as I thought it, though, I knew better.

_Even if she was a spy, she wouldn't be here if it wasn't for me_.

*****A/N: Now we're starting to get a few details, eh? Reviews are welcome, of course. Chapter 3 probably won't be up tomorrow, but it should definitely be posted by Sunday. Happy Friday everyone!*****


	4. Chapter 3

The small silver cell phone in my hand felt lighter than it had all week long. Three small words on the screen from Jasper were all it had taken to finally let me relax for the first time in days.

__She's still here___._

I didn't need to ask who the "She" was. The answer was already at the forefront of my mind. Truthfully, I hadn't stopped thinking about Bella Swan for the duration of my trip. Her mystery haunted me, like her wide brown eyes, and I couldn't seem to shake it. With that blunt confirmation that she wasn't here to get me killed and tortured forever, I was suddenly more intrigued than frightened of her resistance to me. She was still to be kept at a distance, obviously, but I no longer visualized her as an imminent threat. I could study her, and unravel her enigma at my leisure, without interacting directly. Grinning triumphantly at this new plan, I tugged on my heavy boots and maneuvered out of my small one-man tent. The early morning sunshine over Glacier National Park was awe-inspiring, even after all these years of familiarity. Delicate gold rays bled into the deep evergreen forest and lit up the snowy mountaintops like diamonds.

_Magnificent_.

Stretching until my back popped, I shuffled my way over to the ashes of last night's campfire. Contemplating starting a new one so I could brew some coffee, my gaze dropped to the tiny trail leading away from my campsite.

_Fuck it, I wanted to go home._

I packed hurriedly, eager to put this entire tense week behind me. I wouldn't even judge Emmett for teasing me about being so scared of a girl. Once everything was secured in my large camping bag again, I scooped a few more handfuls of damp earth on top of the remains of my fire circle.

__Only ___**_you_**___ can help prevent forest fires___..._I thought mockingly to myself before standing and wiping my hands carelessly on my jeans. My bag now in place across my back, I gave one last check of the campsite.

Time to get back to reality.

I made the nearly 11 hour trip back to Forks in record time, feeling a strange sense of anticipation the entire way. Ignoring my thoughts that told me otherwise, I chalked it up to being happy to see my family again and being out of immediate danger.

It wasn't until the next morning as I leaned against my Volvo smoking, twenty minutes early for school on a goddamn MONDAY, that I was forced to stop lying to myself.

I wanted to pick apart Bella Swan's mind. Break through her defenses, and hear what went on behind those walls of silence. If curiosity killed the cat, well, someone better get me a toe-tag ready.

Ten minutes later, the ominous rumble of a vehicle that needed to be put out of it's misery sounded before a behemoth red truck rounded the corner into the school lot. Some of the other students snickered at the chugging beast, but my gaze was fixed on the small brunette behind the wheel. She parked a few spaces down from me and killed the engine, seeming to take a deep breath before opening the door and glancing around. Bella's doe eyes caught my stare and she froze, brows furrowing in confusion. I glanced at the truck, then back to her, raising one eyebrow and smirking.

She blushed deeply but her eyes narrowed and she squared her small shoulders, staring me down.

__Well now, New Girl had guts___._

Reaching out for her thoughts yet again, I tried to mentally circle where they ought to be. Searching for the weak link in her armor. After a long moment it felt like I was once more being slowly absorbed by her silence, so I threw up my own guards and gave in. For now. Breaking our impromptu staring contest, I slung my backpack over my shoulder and headed off towards the double doors. This was obviously a battle between whatever skill she apparently possessed, and mine.

__And I was going to win___._

I just needed a game plan.

Morning classes passed in a blur, and I attempted to strategize as I pretended to take notes. After over 90 years of repetition, there really wasn't anything a high school teacher could lecture about that I didn't already know. Maybe next year I would play the college student again. Break up the monotony a little bit.

By the time I sat down at our table at lunch, I had tentatively penned application essays to both Harvard and NYU and was mentally assembling a portfolio for a small art school in San Francisco. I was still no closer to figuring out how to unravel Bella Swan, however. Glancing over at the girl in question, I caught the obsidian glare of Alice, who shook her dainty head at me.

The warning she had issued me before my hasty retreat a week ago came to mind, and I could read from her thoughts that she still believed it firmly. In fact, she was quite disappointed I had come back to school at all, thinking I had left and the problem was over.

__Sorry, Pixie, but I don't fear the wrath of a tiny human girl. Deal with it.__

I trailed behind Alice and Bella after the bell, smiling at their easy camaraderie. Pure human relationships were always so...refreshing. And rare. We all took our seats and I was getting ready to pull out my notebook again when Bella spoke.

"I finished our lab report assignment." She said gently, sliding the neatly typed papers to the middle of our table. It looked exceptionally well done, something you might submit for a business proposal- not a high school Biology class. It even had graphs. Biting her plump bottom lip she hastily scrawled something on another small scrap of paper and held it out to me. "This is my phone number. If you're going to be gone for a while again, please just text and let me know so I can pick up the slack. I take my grades seriously."

I could feel my eyebrows raise as I waited for her to laugh and say "just kidding". Instead she sat there looking nervous but entirely earnest. It was kind of cute that she had obviously planned out this little speech, despite how I had acted when she introduced herself. Humoring her, I gave a curt nod and grabbed the slip of paper, tucking it away in my backpack.

"Thank you." she whispered sincerely just as Mr. Banner began his lecture. I allowed one more nod then turned away towards the front of the room. I was never going to use that number, of course, but if it made her feel better I didn't see the harm in letting her give me a piece of paper. 

Out of the corner of my eye I could see Bella taking copious notes, nose crinkling just slightly as she concentrated. Truthfully, she was adorable for a human. The pale blue of her thin sweater made her skin look like fresh cream and hugged her small curves _just_ right. Based on the thoughts of nearly every male in the room, I wasn't alone in my assessment. Mike Newton was practically drooling on his desk as he stared whenever he thought he could get away with it. If Bella could hear what she had done to the male population of this school, she would never want to leave her house again. The bell rang to end class and I gathered my backpack, expecting Bella to leave hurriedly for the next period, shy and demure. Instead she turned to face me and held her books closely to her chest, her features serious and slightly...angry?

"Oh, and Edward, I know my truck may not look like much but it's _mine. _And it could eat your Volvo for breakfast." With that she turned on her heel and left the room, completely missing my collapsing in silent mirth.

_New girl had **serious** guts._

As shy as she seemed, and as much as she apparently hated attention, she wasn't going to be a pushover. It was quite a unique characteristic, and I liked it. The rest of the day I spent trying to both scour Bella's mind for a weak spot, and to ignore the lustful fantasies of the school boys she encountered. For some reason, listening to how fucking vulgar they were towards her mentally made me want to warn her. My throat itched with the need to actually say something. To tell her who to steer clear of. It just didn't seem right that she should be subjected to someone who was able to think of her so...objectively. Plus, I wondered how many ways she could think of to tell someone to fuck off.

_So I was a total hypocrite. Add it to the list of sins. One more couldn't make things much worse for me._

At the end of school I listened eagerly as she declined Alice's invitation to go shopping, reminding her that she "was busy". Instantly curious, I tuned in to Alice's mind from my locker as I gathered my belongings.

_Where-oh-where would little Miss Bella be off to?_

Much to my irritation, Alice's mind only flashed briefly to an image of the hospital. She merrily replied that she had forgotten, ordered Bella to call her later, and waved a cheerful goodbye before making a bee-line for her bright yellow VW Beetle. I'm not sure she even breathed throughout the entire exchange.

Jasper and Emmett trouped out to Rosalie's red convertible, ribbing each other over a video game that Jasper simply could not beat. Mostly because one of the tiny female anime characters looked an awful lot like Alice Brandon, and Jasper couldn't seem to put his whole heart into attacking her. Emmett was positively aglow with childish victory. From behind the wheel Rosalie watched them with one of her rare true smiles, caught up in her family and not her self-imposed misery briefly. It was glimpses like that where I was reminded of that _something_ worth saving that Carlisle had seen in her. It was easy enough to forget with Rosalie.

Bella was just getting into her truck as I made my way to my Volvo, and I quickly sent a text to Jasper, the decision to follow her nearly making itself.

_Have something to take care of. See you at home later._

From the backseat of the convertible, he looked around and shot me a confused glance after reading my message. I focused on feeling apathetic as I waved them on, climbing into my car. I knew they wouldn't approve of my impromptu reconnaissance mission, so I figured it was best to keep it to myself for now. Soon enough there would be nothing more to know and I would beg forgiveness for acting without them.

"_Easier to ask forgiveness than permission", wasn't that the old saying?_

There was no need to go right behind Bella to the hospital, as I could have made the drive in my sleep by now. Even though I gave her a few minutes head start, we arrived in the parking lot at nearly the same time. Musing, I wondered internally how fast that truck could possibly go.

_45. 50 __**tops. **_

I hung back and let her park, unsure if I could rationalize continuing this trip any longer. It had seemed like a harmless idea at school, but now...this almost felt wrong. The feeling of guilt was disgruntling, and I drummed my fingers on my steering wheel as I debated. Swinging into a parking spot in near silence, I watched the slender raincoat-clad figure vanish behind the automatic doors that led to the non-emergency areas of the hospital. It took all of about three seconds of deliberation after she disappeared to decide to follow her. This was just _too_ good an opportunity to pass up. At least that's what I argued with the long-dormant voice of my conscience. Walking swiftly through the drizzle, I kept my head down and my mind focused on Bella's sphere of silence to determine where she was headed.

_Long term care. Was she sick, then? Was **that **why I couldn't hear her? Some mental malady?_

The idea was vaguely disturbing to me. Perhaps because Bella already seemed fragile. A serious illness would surely claim her quickly. She would be snuffed out easier than a candle. Shrugging off the malaise, I managed to smile as I walked up to the reception desk, happy that I had a perfectly legitimate cover story for being here if I got caught. Janice, the bottle-blonde behind the desk in too-tight clothing, froze mid-type as I approached. She beamed a rather alarmingly pink-lipped smile at me and then tried to appear casual.

"Edward! What a nice surprise. Are you here to see Doctor Cullen?" _How an entire family is so good looking I'll never understand. I tell you that Esme is the luckiest woman on Earth. Carlisle is just...yummy._

Trying not to shudder at her crass imaginings of my father-figure, I nodded.

"Very good. I'll just ring Doctor Cullen to come and escort you." I shook my head faintly, still keeping the smile on my face. Grabbing one of the pens from the counter and a brochure about some local events, I flipped the paper over and scribbled a hasty message.

_No need to drag him all the way down here. I know how to get to his office._

Her overly made-up blue eyes scanned the page and she wavered for a moment. Knowing full well it was against hospital policy to let someone freely wander the Doctor's Office corridor unaccompanied, I gave her my best smolder and tried to make my eyes pleading.

Her willpower was dust in seconds as her breathing quickened.

"I suppose just this once...Doctor Cullen is very busy after all...Why don't you just take this visitors badge and go on up."

Swiping the plastic clip on badge before she could change her mind, I waved in thanks and stalked off to find that elusive silent mind. In a small town hospital this size, it didn't take me long. She had gone into the childrens' ward of long-term care, and I wondered who she might know in this wing. Obviously a 17 year old girl wouldn't be getting treatment in that area.

It was another two minutes before I tracked her to the largest of the ward rooms, her soft voice echoing into the hall faintly. Peering around the door frame, my breath caught in my throat at the sight that met my eyes.

Perhaps 20 children from various areas of the hospital were sitting on the small beds, staring in rapt fascination as Bella held out a book of childrens' poetry, emphatically showing them the illustrations as she read. They giggled and gasped and clapped as she threw her voice for different characters, made sound effects, and passionately brought the simple rhymes to life. Here in this sterile miserable place, Bella Swan was creating magic. So absorbed was she in mesmerizing her pajama-clad audience that my presence outside the room went entirely unnoticed. I was free to listen, unable to keep the smile from my face at how much enjoyment she seemed to get from helping these kids.

Forty-five minutes later, a nurse passed by me to enter the room, and I shrugged nonchalantly before hurrying off down the hall. No sense getting caught by Bella and playing the "Just here to see my dad" card so soon. I could hear the protests of the children as the nurse declared story-time to be over for the day, and as she reminded them that Bella would be back tomorrow.

I knew right then, that so would I_. _

Speeding home, I mulled over my new tidbit of information, frustrated even further that I couldn't know what compelled Bella to donate her time so selflessly.

The rest of the week passed in almost the exact same fashion. Though I acknowledged that I had fully entered stalker territory, I couldn't seem to care. Every day I avoided the questioning glances of my family and spent my nights mulling over whatever new data I had uncovered. None of it seemed to bring me any closer to cracking Bella's shell, which only drove my need for more.

I would arrive at school with my family and wait outside smoking my cigarettes until Bella's ridiculous truck pulled up. She would give me a small smile if she noticed my eyes on her, but I never returned it. There was no need to make her think I was trying to be friends. She was a project, an experiment to be observed. All day I would follow her through the thoughts of others and by monitoring her odd bubble of quiet. She worked extremely hard in all of her classes, was polite to everyone, yet wasn't afraid to gently stand up for herself even though it always made her anxious. And every weekday after school, Bella would spend an hour with the children at the hospital reading. When she got home she would make dinner for her father and herself, humming tunelessly in the kitchen. She exchanged short easy banter with Chief Swan when he arrived home, catching up with each other about their days, before retiring to do her homework. From my spot in the woods just past her yard, I listened in near disbelief to it all, and couldn't stop myself from chuckling as they made plans to spend the weekend fishing together. It was like a Stepford child had come to life, or a character from a Norman Rockwell painting.

In short, it was like someone had created my exact opposite to fascinate me.

I felt like a black smudge that followed her around, just out of sight, a shadow to her every light step. After day three, I could no longer argue that it was just Bella's silent mind that held my attention. It was Bella herself. I had never before met someone who seemed so entirely...good. Aside from Carlisle, of course, and the whole "good" thing was kind of in his job description. And with each hour that passed as I studied her from afar, I could feel my vocal chords practically burning with the desire to speak. I had so many _questions_ and it didn't feel like anything but having a real conversation with Bella would answer them.

A week after my "observation" began, I left my house to find the world covered in a thick layer of mud and water. The ever-present rain in Forks had turned torrential overnight, making the town into a giant Slip n' Slide. Emmett, Rosalie, Jasper and I all piled into Emmett's Goliath red Jeep. It's souped up four wheel drive was second to none thanks to Rosalie's skills, and we'd need it today.

_A car accident is a terrible way to start the morning, after all._

With predictable good-sense and caution, Bella arrived at school slowly, peering carefully around her as she drove.

_Honestly, did this girl **ever** make the unintelligent "teenager" decision?_

She parked and the student lot became a few notches quieter after she cut off the roar of her engine. Gathering her things from her truck, she opened the door and stepped out slowly. Almost immediately, she slipped in the muddy water and grabbed the frame of the truck for support. Her cheeks pinked prettily as she caught me watching her once again. After she regained her balance she shrugged in my direction and took painstaking steps towards the back end of her decrepit beast. I watched with a smirk as she tested the give on her tires with the edge of her boot.

_Maybe if I stuck around long enough, I could absorb some of her goodness. _My mouth twisted up at the irony of the thought. If anything, staying close to Bella would only serve to corrupt her. Drag her down a bit closer to my level.

The quiet of the morning was shattered at the same time my smirk morphed into a snarl of horror as the familiar blue of Tyler Crowley's mini van came careening much too fast around the corner with a dreadful squealing. In a heartbeat I realized two things: Tyler wasn't going to be able to stop on the flooded pavement, and Bella Swan was smack dab in the middle of his collision course. She looked up in confusion for the source of the noise and froze, eyes going wide in terror.

_Bella was about to die._

_**He** was going to take her away. _

My muscles moved before I had time to think, my miserable black soul pushing me faster than any human body could take. I sprinted for the delicate girl, a blur of speed, the words ripping from my throat in rage and defiance.

"Not her!"

In that moment Bella seemed to fully comprehend her fate, and she stumbled back as the van sped forward to destroy her. I slammed into her full speed, arms wrapping protectively around her tiny body as I launched us away from the van-turned-death-machine. We hit the pavement between Bella's truck and a small tan coupe a split second before Tyler's van crashed into the corner of the red truck. The exact spot Bella had been standing precious heartbeats before.

Frantically, I sat up in the small space, cradling Bella's alarmingly limp form to my chest. Time seemed to slow to a crawl as I grabbed her slender wrist and felt for a pulse. It was much quicker than I would like, but strong. Her eyes fluttered open then, and my breath came out in a huge _whooooosh_ of relief as she looked up at me in shock. I was absorbed in nothing but the girl, feeling her hand tremble slightly in my grasp. She couldn't seem to find words, her lips opening and closing slowly, her eyes locked with mine.

_Was she hurt? Had I harmed her in my effort to get her out of the way?_

The screaming started then, students frantically calling out for Bella, and pleas for someone to call 911. The tense moment ruptured with the noise, and the enormity of what had just occurred washed over me like a wave. I felt sick. Depositing Bella onto the ground, I scooted as far from her as possible. Her eyes watched me warily, looking shaken and a little awed. But Bella Swan no longer mattered.

_How could I have been so **careless**?_

I wanted to reach out into the void and pull the words back, undo the catastrophe I had just caused. But it was too late, and I could only stare blankly at the ground in fear and wonder how long I had left. Golden blonde hair fell in perfect waves that framed the irate face of Rosalie as she raced around the front of the tan car, shaking with the force of her fury. Before any of the other students could arrive at the small scene between the vehicles, she drew back an impeccably manicured hand and slapped me as hard as she could. Ducking my head, I knew I would take anything my family would dish out. It was _nothing_ compared to what was coming. Bending low, Rosalie grabbed my chin, forcing my to meet her cold gaze as she hissed out in a voice full of venom.

"What have you _**done**__?"_

*****A/N: Sorry for the delay in posting this chapter. My wisdom teeth have been KILLING me for a few days so it's been a bit difficult to focus. Also, this story has no Beta, so any/all spelling and grammatical errors are all mine. Anyhow, hope you enjoy. Next chapter will be up ASAP. *****


	5. Chapter 4

The car ride home from Forks High was deathly silent, by all outward appearances.

Only _I_ could hear the tirade of insults, reprimands, and montages of bitter frightened thoughts.

The four of us had beat a hasty retreat after the accident, with Emmett practically dragging me to the Jeep by the collar of my leather jacket. I didn't fight, and simply hung my head once I climbed into the backseat, wishing I could undo the last 10 minutes of my life. Existence.

_Whatever_.

I made no effort to block my siblings' thoughts, knowing I deserved all of it. As we squealed through the wet streets, I rubbed absently at my wrist, the faint burning there reminding me this wasn't just some fucked up nightmare. I barely registered the passing scenery, stewing in the bubble of fear and anger that encompassed the vehicle until we skid to a halt in front of the house.

_How long did we have before this house and everything else would come to ruin?_

We had barely closed the front door behind us when Rosalie's attack turned verbal. I threw myself onto the sofa, and let her rant.

"I cannot believe you'd be so fucking stupid, Edward! How could you screw up so bad after all this time!" She ranted, pacing around the living room and gesturing wildly. Catching her gaze, I signed.

_What was I supposed to do, Rosalie? Let her die?_

"Oh so NOW you decide to keep quiet, once the damage is done? Fucking perfect. And YES, you SHOULD have let her die! If _**He**_ decided Bella needed to die, you should have just let it happen!

The very idea of it made me nauseous. Bella was too good a person to just get ripped from the world like that. It was beyond cruel.

_She didn't deserve to die, Rose._ I signed, my rationale flimsy at best.

"And we do? What do you think is going to happen now? To you? Me? Esme? What about Carlisle? I highly doubt he's got a warm reception waiting for him back home."

I flinched at the images that slammed into the forefront of my mind and tugged at the bronze mess on top of my head. There was no way I could survive witnessing the end of the only people I truly cared for.

The front door flew open then, and we all jumped, prepared for an attack. We relaxed slightly to see Carlisle looking around frantically with a tear-streaked Esme in tow. They were both still in scrubs. I guess someone had gotten them the message about what happened. When his cool gaze fell on my hunched form on the couch, I could see the battle raging within him. I didn't even need to read his thoughts. He shook his head at me, a few short blonde hairs falling down across his forehead.

For a moment I could nearly see the light shining from him as the stress took it's toll on his human facade. He wanted to be angry, to blame me, but he had stood in my shoes once and been defiant- just like me.

"You may as well speak now, son, no sense pretending we can go back." Tears rolled down my cheeks at his words, and I took a deep breath.

"I'm so, so sorry Carlisle. I didn't think...I never meant for this to happen..."

"Damn straight you didn't think!" Rosalie shouted and Esme shushed her gently before coming to sit and wrap her arms around me. Her perfume brought the comforting sense of home with it, and I tried to get a grip on myself. Now was _not_ the time to lose it like a little baby. Still, my mind was reeling and I felt like there was no steady ground to stand on.

"I can leave, Carlisle. He'll find me regardless, but maybe if he finds me alone he won't come after all of you." There was no hope in my voice, only desperation, and I knew his answer before he spoke. We both did.

"You know as well as I do that won't work. He's never been the "forgive and forget" sort." I nodded and grimaced at the horrific images that flashed through Carlisle's mind, shuddering at those that _I_ had helped cause. "I sent you away when we were unsure of the Swan child because we needed a definitive answer as to her intentions with you. Surely you must know that I would never allow my son to face this battle alone." He finished with solemn affection and I was nearly dragged under by the depth of emotion on his face. How someone designed to be nothing but pure and good could feel anything for a monster like me I would never fathom.

"What if we kill her?" came the quiet suggestion from the perch Rosalie had taken by the fireplace, breaking the moment of understanding between Carlisle and I. Esme gasped at the dark idea, and I could feel the snarl building in my chest.

"No." I bit out flatly.

"This isn't just your decision anymore Edward! This is about all of us! And maybe if we get rid of the human girl, it'll buy us some time."

Emmett shifted uncomfortably, and I knew he would side with Rosalie, even if this idea felt wrong to him. But Jasper- Jasper the impeccable strategist- was nodding and looking at his sister in approval.

"It's worth a shot, Carlisle. Even if it doesn't work, it's a small sacrifice to make to try and ensure our safety."

"A SMALL sacrifice?" I thundered, causing everyone to flinch as they grew accustomed to hearing me speak aloud. "Killing a _completely innocent_ young woman in cold blood is a SMALL sacrifice?"

"Nobody is without sin, Edward." Jasper replied coolly, not backing down from his stance. In his mind, Bella Swan was already dead. I could see now that since the first day I had met Bella Swan Jasper had been debating this. If she became a problem or a threat, he had always been prepared to kill her.

"What if it was Alice?"

Jasper blinked at my frantic statement, and I pounced on his momentary mental pause.

"What if _Alice_ had been there, talking to Bella, and it was _her_ I saved? Would you still be so flippant? Could you still walk up to her and simply snuff out her life to protect yours?"

"Irrelevant. Alice isn't involved." He finally countered after a bleak pause, refusing to be moved. Looking to Carlisle, I pleaded with my eyes for him to be the voice of reason. As head of the family, his vote would be the one that truly counted. I read his mind, hearing his desire to save his family fight with his nature. For a moment I was unsure which would win. But Carlisle would always be Carlisle, and I smiled before he spoke.

"Jasper, Rosalie...there is no need to add innocent bloodshed to the mess that is doubtlessly coming our way. We've all got enough marks against us. I don't approve of fighting, I cannot, but we are not defenseless. We will simply be vigilant, and when the time comes...we have Edward on our side."

I blanched as I processed what Carlisle was saying. The sacrifice I would have to make, which would surely destroy any shred of humanity I had accumulated. I nodded at him, knowing I would gladly take the trade if it gave me the strength to defend my family. This day was always bound to come, sooner or later.

Esme was shaking and crying on my right, utterly distraught at the idea of any of her loved ones being harmed. Hugging her back briefly, I managed a small smile when her amber eyes met mine.

"Esme-_Mom_- I swear to you I will do anything it takes to make this right. I _will_ protect us." For a moment she seemed to recognize the true age of my stare and she nodded.

"Just be careful." With that she moved across the room to be embraced by Carlisle, who murmured sweet nothings in her ear to soothe her. Caught up in their devotion, I nearly missed Jasper's next thought.

_Nearly._

My blood boiled and I glared at him sharply, growling. He had the whole fucking event planned out, right down to the flowers he would send Chief Swan to express his condolences over the "tragic accident."

"Over my dead body will you kill Isabella Swan."

"Sure ya mean that?" He countered, eyebrow raised in challenge. If I were anyone else, I would have been scared shitless. I knew Jasper had done nearly as much evil as I had, and he viewed the world like a ruthless soldier.

Jasper couldn't get the upper hand, not on the real me. But I could see in his mind that he was willing to give it a shot. He felt like his family was in danger, and was willing to do nearly anything to stop it. Even if it meant royally kicking his best friend's ass and then killing someone. In all our years of playful sparring, Jasper had never taken me down, and I wasn't about to let him start now. I focused on every ounce of pain I had seen, felt, and caused in people's minds over countless centuries. The wickedness of the world, condensed. Grinning without humor, I marinated in it, focusing on sending it to Jasper like a beam of light.

To his credit, he stood and took it for a full minute before doubling over and grunting deeply.

"Yes Jasper, I really really mean that."

"Fuck you, Edward." He spat.

"No thanks" I snarked back, and cut off my emotional assault, focusing on some happy vibes. Jasper righted himself and gave me a small smirk, conceding defeat in the fight for Bella's safety and letting me know he forgave me. _For now_. The room lapsed into awkward silence and I knew I would still need to look out for the girl. Just in case Jasper changed his mind.

_How on earth could I be her bodyguard when **I **carried trouble with me like a plague?_

"Well! I think that I've had just about enough stress to last me for the next few years." Emmett commented offhandedly. "So seeing as there doesn't seem to be any immediate danger of death, I'm going to go de-stress with my wife." His trademark cheeky grin returning, Emmett sauntered boldly up to Rosalie and threw her over his shoulder.

"Put me down!" She screeched, fists halfheartedly slapping his back.

"Sorry babe, this is as much for you as it is for me." Emmett laughed, giving us a quick salute before barreling up the stairs and slamming the door of their bedroom.

_Gross._

Esme walked over to a keypad in the hallway and hit a few buttons, closing the massive steel shields around the mostly-glass back wall of the house. It was a stark reminder that we could be fighting for our survival at any moment. Carlisle turned back to me as I stood from the couch, and placed his hand on my shoulder.

"Edward, I understand why you did what you did today. But if you truly want Isabella to make it through this, you should avoid her." _More than you have been._ The last part that he added mentally let me know he was aware of exactly what I had been doing with my time. Looking away, I remained silent, unable to lie to Carlisle. I wasn't about to make a promise I already intended to break. Bella Swan was going to have my protection until this catastrophe was over.

"I would selfishly ask you to delay what you need to do a while longer, but I think we both know that every moment he draws closer. You feel it, don't you?" Carlisle continued, his gaze darting to my wrist. I nodded and rubbed at the leather cuff, as if that could make the burning beneath it go away.

"Just remember who you are son, in here..." He concluded, placing his right hand directly over my heart.

I pulled him into a tight hug before moving to give Esme a hug and a kiss on the cheek. She sniffled softly and tried to keep her bottom lip from quivering.

_Such a kind soul._

"Try not to destroy the _entire_ forest, would ya?" Jasper commented wryly and I smiled as I stepped away from Esme.

"Your concern for me is touching Jasper, really it is." His smile fell, replaced by his familiar stoic mask, and I could feel the anxiety seeping out of him at what I was about to do. As I made my way to the front door I clapped him on the shoulder in passing. "I'll be fine." I whispered.

"You'd better." He muttered.

Before I could think myself out of it, I ran out the door and circled to the back of the house, leaping over the stream that edged our property and taking off into the woods. After twenty minutes of running full-tilt I decided I was probably far enough away to not destroy anyone's property.

The clearing I found myself in was small and not very well defined, but it would do. If I was lucky, the fire wouldn't take out _too_ many trees nearby. Sinking to my knees in the middle of the muddy wet ground, I sighed, wishing I could keep my body from shaking in fear.

Speaking aloud for the first time since Carlisle had rescued me from my _father_ over 90 years ago had broken my camouflage, and let him know where I could be found. Now I was about to drop the charade of humanity and basically plant a fucking homing beacon my ass saying:

"Here I am, fucker, come and get me if you dare."

It was a challenge that would be answered swiftly and brutally.

_But I would be ready._

Gathering all the courage I could muster, I closed my eyes and turned inward to face that dark corner of my mind that I tried so hard to ignore. Like a caged animal, I could feel it rattling the bars of it's enclosure, begging to be released. Bracing myself, I threw down my defenses and blocks, letting the beast free.

Though it had been almost a century, the pain that consumed me was something I remembered all too well. I could smell smoke and sulfur, and I vaguely registered horrific screams echoing in my own ears. They were the screams of a dying man.

_Were they mine, then?_

The darkness spread, gnawing and tearing apart every corner of my mind. I could feel it, hungrily reaching out to merge with the blackness of my soul. I was being eaten alive, dipped in acid, and lit on fire all at once. Interminable time passed as I sacrificed the only thing I had for my family.

Hours, days, weeks. There was no measure of the agonizing increments that crept by. I could do nothing but wait to be entirely devoured, and scream...

Pinpricks of icy cold were hitting my face and I groaned in displeasure. Dragging my eyes open painfully, I took in my surroundings. Night had fallen, but I could still see as clearly as daylight.

The fifty foot circle in the woods I hazily recalled was now at least 400 feet in diameter, and nothing but smoldering ash. Charred trees surrounded the clearing, looking pitiful in the downpour that had just begun. Ecstatic, I turned my gaze upwards and laughed loud and hard at the sky.

_I. Was. Free!_

My sharper senses told me nearly every living creature in the area had been frightened off by my explosive transformation, and I smiled at that. Sitting up slowly, I glanced down at the throbbing spot on my now-bare right wrist. The brand had fully returned, seared deep into my flesh, and I fingered the three digits idly as I decided what my next move should be. A fierce hunger was building inside, effectively choosing for me.

_Time to play._

Wiping ash and rainwater off my now-naked form, I stood and stretched, feeling the hum of power just below my skin, begging to be released.

_Only too happy to oblige._

Taking a deep breath, I started to jog in the direction of town, knowing I would find just what I was searching for there. As I raced through the shadows, I scanned, looking for someone who was ripe for the picking.

Shining like a lighthouse from one of the quiet side-streets in this worthless community, was the single purest human soul I had ever encountered. Licking my lips in anticipation, I sped up, making it to the small white dwelling in just under five minutes. That perfectly magnetic soul was on the second floor, and it was _mine. _I opened myself to hear the luckless person's thoughts, checking if they were asleep, and was baffled to be met with silence.

_How very odd. _

I could just make out the dreaming thoughts of someone down the hall, but they were of no concern. Leaping up, I grabbed the window ledge and pushed the glass pane up quietly, not wanting to alert my prey to my presence. I slipped into the room like a shadow, staring down at the small form under the rumpled purple covers. There was something familiar about her long dark hair and pale skin. About the silence that surrounded her sleeping mind. Not that it mattered.

_Her body and mind would be empty soon enough._

Grinning, I knelt by her bedside, tracing my finger along the edge of her delicate jaw and breathing in the delectable aroma of her purity. To my eyes, she nearly glowed.

_What a treat to find someone so unspoiled. How utterly mouthwatering._

The girl shifted then, the corners of her lips going up in a soft smile as her head dipped towards me. I leaned in to press my lips to hers, to seal her fate, when she murmured.

"Edward...thank you...the van..."

Like a bolt of lightning, the memories came flooding back and I flung myself away from her bed, battling the beast for dominance of my rational mind.

_Bella._

If my heart could beat now, it would be pounding as I waited in silence for her to find me here, warring with myself over her life. Instead she simply sighed and settled deeper against her pillows, breaths evening almost immediately.

_She had been talking in her sleep. She wasn't awake._

I sucked in a shaky gasp in relief, my eyes nearly rolling back at the delicious aroma that came with it. The beast surged, and I grabbed the dresser next to me for support, even though I could easily turn it to dust.

My grip was slipping on my momentary control, so I quickly moved to the window and took a few deep breaths of clean air. Shame filled me as I realized I had nearly damned the girl I had risked everything to save just hours ago. The girl I had defied my best friend to protect.

_I really was evil._

Climbing onto the tree outside her window, I shut the glass behind me, dropping to the ground and sprinting in the darkness for my families home. The beast raged inside, howling at the loss of his perfect meal. I responded by running harder, putting distance between Bella Swan and I before I could lose it again. My footfalls were mere whispers against the ground and I wondered if any distance would be far enough to keep me from seeking out that girl's soul. Lost in my thoughts, I let my legs carry me where I needed to be.

As I stood in front of the massive house I had come to love so well, I listened as my family moved about in various rooms. Emmett was in the kitchen with Esme, lifting her spirits with his own brand of bawdy humor. Rosalie was taking a bath and going over some new parts she wanted to add to her convertible. Jasper and Carlisle were in their respective studies, going through books and planning.

_We were all so different, and all so much the same._

Taking a deep breath, I reaffirmed the promise I made before I had relinquished my human pretenses.

_As long as I have strength to fight, no harm will come to you._

*****A/N: Sorry for the delay in posting this chapter. Hope you enjoyed it. If so, please let me know. I'd like to know if I should keep this story going. Chapter 5 probably wont be up til Wednesday because I am getting my wisdom teeth out and will be pretty useless for a few days.******


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